A Fool and his Words are Soon Parted

Found: Letter from June of 2000 January 24, 2006

To the Manager and Staff:

My family and I would like to take a moment to thank you for your assistance last Thursday, June 22nd, when my mother collapsed in the bathroom of your restaurant. She didn’t have a pulse when she was discovered, and the EMTs and doctors at the hospital were unable to revive her. They pronounced Mom dead around 8:45 on Thursday evening.

Based on what the doctor told me that evening, I suspect Mom may have died before she fell in the bathroom. She had suffered with congestive heart failure since 1972, and in that year, was given just two years to live. Clearly, she outlived that expectation, and we enjoyed many more years than we were expecting.

I know it must have been a difficult situation for your staff and customers to deal with, but my family is so very grateful for all the efforts put toward caring for Mom, even though they did not know her. I wish I knew the names of the women who first found her, and subsequently performed CPR on her before I arrived. If you have their names and could pass on my thanks, I would appreciate it.

Over the years, our family has celebrated many happy occasions at your restaurant, and this was certainly our expectation last Thursday. Mom always enjoyed the food and atmosphere, and based on her comments at dinner, I feel quite certain that she enjoyed the last meal that she shared with my family and my Dad.

Again, thank you for your kindness and the manner in which you sensitively attended to a traumatic situation. I hope you don’t have to experience that kind of emergency again, but if you do, you can feel confident that you can deal with it effectively and compassionately.

Very truly yours,

Tim